There are four main types of marijuana:

  • Marijuana flower
  • Marijuana concentrates
  • Marijuana-infused edibles
  • Topical marijuana

All forms except topical marijuana are mind-altering (psychoactive).

Marijuana flower

Marijuana flower is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica). It goes by many different names, including: pot, herb, bud, weed, and grass. This form of marijuana is usually smoked, and, like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke irritates the throat and lungs.

Marijuana concentrates

Marijuana concentrates are made by extracting potent cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. They are usually consumed by vaporizing (vaping) the product. Marijuana concentrates are found in different forms and go by many different names, including: hash oil, tinctures, dabbing, dabs, shatter, CO2 oil, BHO, wax, budder, honey, honey oil, honeycomb oil, crumble, sap, and pull-and-snap. Marijuana concentrate users consume higher levels of the addictive ingredient in marijuana, THC, at faster rates. This can increase the chance of addiction. It can also lead to not-so-good effects.

And you may have heard that vaping marijuana concentrates is linked to cases of a lung injury that’s left some people hospitalized. The symptoms of this lung injury are pretty awful—think things like nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, coughing, and fever. And in some serious cases, people have even died. Learn how to stay safe and healthy by avoiding vapor products and e-cigarettes.

Marijuana-infused edibles

Edibles are food products (like cookies, brownies, drinks, and other snack foods) infused with marijuana. Eating marijuana can be very dangerous. This is because while the effects of smoking or vaping marijuana begin after only a few minutes, the effects of eating marijuana might not begin for 1-3 hours. Because the effects take longer to begin, a user may consume larger amounts of the drug while thinking the drug isn’t working. This can lead to overdose of marijuana.

Topical marijuana

Topicals are cannabis-infused lotions, balms, and oils that are absorbed through the skin and are often used medically for localized pain and inflammation. Marijuana topicals are non-psychoactive, which means they will not get a user high. Topicals that contain THC do not show positive on standard drug tests, because the THC does not enter into the bloodstream. However, topicals with THC may show up on drug tests that are more in-depth than standard tests.